The Book Thief

A strangely beautiful, wildly imaginative, and deeply moving book. The story itself follows the
life of Leisel Meminger, the Book Thief, from the day of her younger brother's death as her
mother is taking them to be cared for by foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann at the
beginning of WWII. She takes an immediate liking to Hans, who is kind and thoughtful, but
takes much longer to warm up to the abrasive Rosa.

Liesel finds ways of coping with her losses. Of which, the most important one is, she
becomes a thief. She steals her first book at her brother’s funeral. Stealing books becomes
an obsession-a potentially dangerous one, not only because it is theft and a crime, but also
because this was a time when books were burned. They were considered seditious.

The book has well written characters, but readers may find the going slow until Max
Vandenburg, a 24-year-old Jewish boxer shows up at the family’s house. They harbour the
Jewish man in their home and come to love him.

I can’t review this book without writing about the narrator, Death himself. I must say, I was
taken aback when I opened this book and found out that Leisel wasn’t the narrator. However,
a few chapters in, I realised having Death as the narrator increased my appreciation for the
book. Death also provided an insight into the impact that war has on society, it gives us a
glimpse into the horrors that can tear people apart.

This book will truly leave you, as Death put it haunted by humans. It will break your heart; it
will shatter you soul and shake you to your very core. But you’ll marvel at how Leisel
survived her omnipresent affliction with the aid of a good friend, a tender father, a Jewish
refugee, a mother whose harshness is only skin deep, and a traumatized mayor’s wife who
loves to have her books stolen. With one of my favourite quotes from the book- “I have hated
words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right”, I’ll leave you to discover
the beauty of words, just as Leisel Meminger did.

My rating- 5/5